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Finance THIS!

Yes, it can be done! I have receipts to prove it. It takes careful planning and strategic shopping. You have to be open to new foods and know a bit about cooking!. If you have access to youtube, you can learn how to cook!

I only buy food on sale. If it’s not on sale that week, I skip it. That means, I’m flexible. I am also eating very healthy and I eat meat. So, there I dispelled all the rumors about what you can’t do. I bring my left overs as lunch to work most days and I bring my oatmeal for breakfast.

Food prep helps take the mystery out of what to eat. Come up with what you want, keep it simple and do it. I will cook a big batch of rice and cut up my vegetables ahead of time and store in a freezer safe baggies. I also only cook maybe 3 times a week. Left-overs are my favorite. I’m never hungry and I always have food left over for the next week. The money I save in the following weeks goes toward a treat outside. Dunkin Donuts latte or chinese take-out one night. If I am really good and took advantage of a really good sale that month, I may even go out for brunch with the girls.

I always have spices on hand, which make everything taste good. I buy curry because it has turmeric, cumin and an array of other spices. I eat a ridiculous amount of garlic and onions in every meal. Adding that to your dishes takes it up a notch and you get multiple spices for the price of one. I always have salt, black pepper, sugar, cinnamon and pepper flakes on hand.

I drink a lot of water and only buy ginger ale soda when it’s on sale for $1 a bottle, when limes are on sale, I make fresh limeade, I also drink lots of tea.

Hope all is well and you are getting in the swing of 2017 and looking to really transform your finances more seriously. Now we know, it can be overwhelming to cut yourself off from everything to meet your financial goals. My take on it, is you don’t have to totally cut yourself off from the world to save your coins. But it does take being a bit more strategic about how you do things. If you don’t plan, you can basically call it a fail because you may blow all the hard work you have put in place thus far.

Okay, ready, game plan. Have fun but save at the same time. How is this possible, try the below ideas and see if you miss the weekend festivities of your past.

For the person who loves the arts/concerts/festivals, I suggest searching online for your local activities where they have free showings for up and coming artist in your area. Those can be found in most cities, sometimes at your local library. Google is your friend. Smaller productions often have free events to get publicity for their acts. Also, if your new love interest ask about your likes and dislikes , maybe mention something you wanted to see and you might get to fall in love all while taking in one of your must haves and yes, free. Okay, this one sounds suspect but you get the drift.

In the mood for clubbing, try hosting a mini party at your home and tell your guest to dress to impress and bring a dish or beverage. You can cook something you already have at home, remember to keep it simple. Use YouTube for your favorite song list and enjoy a free evening of joy with your favorite people.

Seeking something more girly, then you can get all your favorite nail polishes together and do each others nails. Its adequate girl time to catch up on all the latest gossip and not even touch any of your funds. And for the men, get a couple of the guys together and get a weekly or bi-weekly card game going. Have everyone bring a snack/beverage and let the good times roll. They are so many other things you can do.

Be creative, be strong and keep your eye on the prize. Let 2017 be your best financial year yet!

For the first time in my adult life I have witnessed a part of american history that has raised many feelings of anxiety, anger and confusion among many of us. What we can’t control is who is leader of this country is, so lets focus on what we have control over. Lets start with how we will better manage our personal lives this year. Its the beginning of the year and almost the end of the first month of 2017. I know, already speeding by! Geesh! What goals have you set for the new year and what ways have you began to work on them.

For me, I always want to focus on my total well-being: mind, body and soul. My goals concentrate on making sure, I nurture all those things equally and intentionally.

Mind Goals: Read more, do well in school this semester, study, listening to more inspiring things (more gospel, less trap, more comedy shows, less ratchet reality shows). There is a lot that the mind lets in that affects us on a daily basis. I am trying to be more intentional about what I let in this year. Depression is too easy to happen in these crazy times. Get sleep and more quiet time.

How will I accomplish this:Listen to inspiring, worship songs when I am getting ready for work. Set a study schedule that I can stick with once the semester starts. (at least an hour a day of silent focus on each course). Sleep has never been an issue for me. I need to detach from social media after I have checked my emails for work and personal life. I am allowing only 2 hours daily total, to work on social media sites.

WHY?:A mind is a terrible thing to waste. Okay, but honestly this is what allows you to accomplish every day task and resolve things in your life so you can have a better life. Its so important to take care of this area. All battles start in the mind. Rest is restorative, lying in bed checking my phone is not resting!

Body Goals: Gain muscle mass. Last year, I lost weight. This year, I need more muscle mass. I dance 2x a week, which provides great cardio. I plan to include weights that I will do 30 mins 3x a week. Eating more balanced.

How will I accomplish this: I purchased the weights needed. I need to find the right work out youtube video that will accommodate my injured back and knees. I will accomplish this at home. No gym memberships this year! I am eating a vegan diet 4-days a week. High in vegetables less simple carbs. Accomplished by meal prepping.

How will I accomplish this: Study the bible through spiritual-life based books(Unqualified:How God uses broken people). I use the verses recommended in these books to study the bible. Set my alarm, to pray. I have already registered for my first conference. Since I am heavily involved in church life, the other events will happen on its own.

WHY?: Developing this area of my life enables me to balance out a heavy workload and gives me peace. I usually fall apart when this area is out of balance.

These are the top goals of my list for every year, other goals follow like saving, investing, giving more to charity and charitable causes and working on my personal life. What ways do you work on New Year Resolutions! What ways do you make sure they are attainable?

Yes, you read that right! problem is, I wanted to spend it so bad. Joke is, its not even my money. It is a personal loan given to me from a credit card company on a promotion. I dibble and dabble in property investment. The title sounds bigger than it is. I personally own 2 houses, I don’t live in neither of them, both maintained by property managers. I have been itching to get another property, I see so many deals and wanted to get in now but in a bigger way for bigger return but of course bigger risk. I got approved, due to my stellar credit score(years of toiling) and felt quite excited of all the possibilities. Once I stepped away from the ledge and came to my senses, I sent the money back and avoiding a guaranteed long term headache.

You: K.D., why would you not use that money to do some investing, you know enough, go for it?

Me: Trust me, I should but now is not the time. My cooler head prevailed.

Timing is everything. I had the money, a few properties available but everything was not right.

Property buying, rehabbing, management takes time. From updating the property to watching contractors and the list goes on and on. Truth is, I have no time left to spare. I work full-time, go to school full-time, volunteer in 3 different organizations, I squeeze in a personal life here and there. I honestly can’t take on another thing.

The houses that I would have made the biggest bang for my buck, all had timing issues. Short sales and home-path homes: both homes that take a long time purchasing or the latter which would not be available to me because I’m an investor and not planning on making it my primary residence.

That personal loan interest rate sucks at 8%, with how long property buying takes, I could be racking up interest for months before I make any return on my money.

Its not even my money, its a loan. I honestly can wait to save up that amount on my own.

There will be other opportunities. Homes in need of rehabilitation are everywhere in many states. So, whats the rush.

Thank God the new and improved me showed up and avoided the extra stress!

Making money can be fun, but not when you don’t have the time to make it. Making decisions under fire can cause many issues in the long run. Planning, research and preparation are all needed requirements in order to lose the least about of money while investing. I will exercise this opportunity at a later date but not right now! My peace is most important!

Here you will be able to watch me navigate my own financial struggles, concerns and meet my own goals. Lets navigate this time together.

What a better time to start a blog, for me its a way to live out loud in every sense of the word. We have a new Loud President-Elect Trump. We have shockingly loud financial world crisis happening all over the world. We have presently LOUD glaring rising interest rates. And sadly, screamingly, LOUD news that most american are still not doing well financially, educationally, socially, ‘YOU NAME IT!’. Really what are we to do:

Do not panic! Take it from me, my worst decisions were made when I felt stressed, depressed or overwhelmed. You never should make big decisions when your emotionally un-fit.

Take a step back, do something fun and free of course, we don’t want you to regret taking that vacation that was suppose to leave you relaxed but now has a huge bill that is due on your credit card, which will trust me add to your stress. Always look at your local newspapers, google or television stations, they always tell you whats going on in your city. Take in a local event, even if your not interested. You may even meet someone new or learn something about yourself.

Make an attainable plan of attack. Writing things out and giving your self a deadline with steps to take(SMART) usually eases some of the temporary stress.

These simple tips have helped me out alot! Try them out, let me know what ways you relax in a tense environment.